After the very successful meetings in Addis Ababa (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2013), the NDC Research Division’s high-profile outreach activities continued on 15-16 May with a conference in Vancouver, Canada, jointly organized with Simon Fraser University (SFU).

Symbolically convened in a NATO member state’s gateway to the Pacific on the Alliance’s western flank, the Vancouver conference gathered leading scholars from the Asia-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions, together with officers, officials, students of international affairs and academic staff. The overarching aim was to address the implications for the Alliance of the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly as regards the post-2014 shape and scope of NATO’s partnerships with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

The event was opened by the SFU President, Dr Andrew Petter, and the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences, Dr John Craig, together with NDC Research Division Director Dr Jeffrey Larsen. A keynote address was then given by Dr Peter Lavoy, former Acting Assistant Secretary General for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs in the US Department of Defense. Other speakers included Gilles Vander Ghinst, Head of the Contact Countries/Global Partners Section at NATO HQ; Rear Admiral W. S. Truelove, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, Royal Canadian Navy; and H.E. Ambassador Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo, former NATO Deputy Secretary General.

All presentations were accompanied by lively Q&A sessions, which enabled scholars to engage in detailed debate about their respective findings. The proceedings will be jointly published by the NDC and SFU in the coming months.